Sometimes you need to take a few risks to get a longer term feeling of happiness – it’s important to challenge yourself from time to time. It can give you a sense of achievement, get you out of a rut and allow you to try something new, and the simple activity of completing a challenge has a feel-good factor associated with it. You’ll probably pick up fresh knowledge and skills too, which is great for your self-esteem and self-confidence.

Today’s activity is to challenge yourself to do something out of the ordinary as a one off. It doesn’t have to be anything too strenuous or time consuming today, just something that you wouldn’t usually do in your day-to-day life.

Here are a few examples you could try:

• Try a free or cheap app to learn a new language
• Learn a new academic subject or work skill
• Challenge yourself to attend a new exercise class or try a new sport
• Research a day trip to somewhere you’ve never been to
• Read a different genre or category of book, magazine or blog
• Go to a new cafe, restaurant or pub
• Book in for a talk, a lecture, a reading, a seminar or a class that’s out of the ordinary
• Watch a different type of movie or TV show than you’d usually watch (maybe something that’s had good reviews)
• Join a choir, craft club or other interest group
• Listen to some new music in a genre you wouldn’t usually try
• Find and cook a new recipe for a dish that you’ve never made before

None of this needs to cost anything if you’re short of cash; there are plenty of free shows, blogs, talks and more available. You could also make a new recipe using ingredients you already have in your cupboard or fridge.

Invest in your future wellbeing & happiness

They say that a change is as good as a rest, and it’s true. While it’s nice to fall back on a few old favourite activities, over time the shine can start to wear off. Time to shake it up! After all, the only thing you can rely on in life is that things can and will change… so you might as well make sure you’re comfortable with new stuff going on.

If you enjoyed today’s activity, you might like to try challenging yourself to a bigger, longer term project.

Further reading ideas:

Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David, Penguin, £6.65. Buy here.

Shine: Rediscovering your Energy, Happiness and Purpose by Andy Cope and Gavin Oattes, Capstone, £7.91. Buy here.

It’s time to pick out something new to do. What are you going to choose?